The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1887-04-07
TEA.z6HERS'GoLUMN.
j. q. CLINKsCALEs, EDITOR.
AVOID SUSPICION.


AVOID SUSPICION.
A lady teaching in New York said that
suspicion on the part of teacher was q
common cause Of badness in the pupil:
aI remember" she said, "when went to
s- street school that was good girl
in every way. I found on my arrival, a
Sunday school friend, and naturally
stook' to her among crowd of strangers.
When We were called to the classroom l
struggled to sit beside my friend and
saw I had made bad impression on the
teacher. She set me down in her mind
as q eirl that needed watching. / was
rather amused at first, but supposed that
abe would see the motives that actuated
me. and trust me as implicitly as I was
trusted at home. But she suspected me
all the time, She Was obliged to be ab'
sent for q few weeks, and when her sue.
cessor came in q confab was held, and l
know I was pointed out as one that need
ed watching. I felt indignant and treat
ed the new. conner with colduess. She
was person Of discernment, however,
and often asked me to assist her. After
q week she called me to her and said
II don't think you have been understood,
I know of no one who tries harder to 90
right I burst into tears and told her OF
my treatment. ;. Z,
: The teacher smusti disarm himself OF
suspicion atthe outset and all the way
along. He has no right to think and
hight not to think the pupil comes there
5 from any lower motives than he does
himself. land oftentimes the motives OF
the pupil are the noblor.) he should
tell thepapils IN q candid manner that
he has 10 oversee them and watch them
because it is his duty and not because ne
suspects them.
The pupil will read the teacher; he
cannot escape. Itis far better for him
to treat his pupil in cordial manner.
Suppose e,sayslini effsct:s Scholars, 1
have no i doubt but that you are in earn.
eat In your efforts to do we'll here. l am
going Is Try ny best and I want You to
try your best. You know how things
should be done as we'll as do, I have no
doubt my business will be to keep you
on the track. You have visitors at home
and know how to treat people politely ];
you must act as if youwere lin company,
while here.
sI shall have to look around the room
to see how things are going on, for that
is my duty; but. do: not feel that ! am
trying to spy upon you, or that am sus'
picious of you. I am not. If I think
any one is wrong, ! shall tell that person
30 and listen to his explanation. We
are to live together here for several hours
day, and / want the time to pass pleas
antly. We may. just as well be happy
whileatpdying, as unhappy. Let every
one hsfp to make these the happieSt
hours of our lives.
.And, again, if in our intercourse any
one thinks he is. not dealt fairly with by
me, I want him to come here and say so /;
I intend to, deal justly with every one."
:. A talk like this should be given often
enough 10 let the pupils know that the
teacher means to be fair, ,"-and this in
the pupils mind means great deal.
Sometimes one point can be expanded
and sometimes another.
There are pupils in a school that are
not "understood" by their teachers; they
do things that are "odd," to say the
least; they gradually arouse prejudice in
the minds of a teacher. The teacher
Acannot poil.s out any particular thing,
But he feels repelled and rebuffsd. Un.
less he is a wise man he will attempt 3
warfare on this pupil and the pupil will
leave the school; if he stays in by the
pressure of his family he will learn little.
A teacher in one of the city schools
said: aI can get rid Of pupil without
suspendiDg him.
HHnu, 9,3;ves the inouiry.
! 81 freeze him out"
"How is that?"
sob, I let him know from nine in the
morning until three in the afternoon that
I do not want him, that I hate him, aud
he stays away"
This is human nature; Of course; we
love those who love us. TIyseacher
must, however, have higher spirit. A
gentleman who held very important
positions and is highly esteemed in Cali
fornia, said: 81 went to California be-:
cause / was msanly treated by my teach
er in -scbSol. He wanted to get rid
OF me. He hated me; he accused me OF
lying; hebeat me. My father began to
lose confidence, in me. And I took my
self off to California. After thirty years
Of absence returned. still felt the in
Justice thathad been heaped on me. l
heard the teacher was ahve,-an old
man: Isought him out, and as soon as
I spoke to-him;h said: 4 treated you
badly, have been sorry for it aud hope
you wilI forgFe me- That was worth
coming to New York for"
Let the teacher look into himself care
fally when he begins to watch pupil.
Let him call up that pupil and say to
him 81 fnd,I lam watching you; is it
&ecessary2 Are you trying to play
trickssf Play tricks if you must, but
don't let me feel that I must watch you.
It will make my life unpleasant"
Ineotber words, let the teacher keep
himself, on the high place the teacher
should occupy; if be becomes police